Our offensive line is young, not terrible. If we can get a young starting 5 to play together for a good part of the season, they'll be a strength on this team, not a weakness. O-lines need more time to gel as a unit than any other group on the field.
I think this line, with this personnel will be good next year and very good in 2 years.

Face it, there is going to be growing pains from Adams and Gilbert. The first thing is these two need to show they can stay healthy and on the field. Having your starting LT missing considerable time over the course of a season is a recipie for disaster. Of course having 4 guys playing RT in a season like last year is no cakewalk either.

Long term, health permitting, these are two kids with some decent upside. We've not seen their best football.

As for Pouncey, he would be aided greatly by better guard play. IMO, he's a solid player, but will struggle with when the a Cody or a Ngata is lined up on him face to face. For the same reason, don't expect him to be a G in this league. His game is quickness, not brute strength.

I still contend drafting Jonathan Cooper( LG UNC) would be a hugh boost to the performance of our OL, which will show up in much better rushing statistics, and overall offensive efficiency.

It depends when you cut him. There isn't much savings with cutting him prior to the March deadline. There is a significant savings if he is cut after June 1st, some of which will be a dead money hit in 2014. At least that's the way I understand it. What the exact dollars are is above my pay grade.

90% sure you are 100% correct. I could be wrong but i think i read somewhere that it would save us $5M this year but create something like $1.5M dead money next year.

__________________The Stong Conquer the Weak, The Mighty Make the Rules -- self-written.

Normally, the free agency period would begin Friday, but it kept being pushed back and now it’s almost into the Ides of March. The NFL now wants to push it back even more, push the draft back more, into May, and just stretch this offseason for every single bit of drama it can wring out of it.

Yet, at the same time, the new CBA won’t allow players to work out together at the team’s facility until the middle of April April and then only strength and conditioning coaches can work with the players. The practices, commonly known as OTAs, cannot take place until after the draft and then only 10 are permitted.

The union fought for those rules, not NFL management, because it wanted to limit what was required in the offseason in “voluntary” workouts.

When I first began covering the Steelers for the Post-Gazette, there were no OTAs, no offseason workouts, not even organized weight lifting by the team. Chuck Noll did not believe in it and he detested the fact that some teams paid their players to actually lift weights in a structured environment at their facilities. He could get away with it previously because no NFL teams believed in such an offseason routine. But when others started doing it, the Steelers fell behind; perhaps that is why their record in the 1980s was so dismal.

As more and more put in offseason “voluntary” workouts, other teams had to do it to keep up with the Joneses. It was getting out of hand, however, and the union pushed for rules and then tightened them to where we are today.

Onto some stuff:

--- Kevin Colbert says the Steelers could draft a guard at No. 17, and I believe he believes that because he believes strongly in going with the highest rated prospect – to a point. Kevin also was there when he and Bill Cowher, according to Dan Rooney, wanted to draft a guard in the first round in 2004 and instead Rooney stepped into the conversation and turned it toward the quarterback.

--- To remind those about what the line should look like to open 2013, barring injuries and other foreseen calamaties that often beset them, the Steelers offensive line should look like this from left to right: Marcus Gilbert (2nd round, 2011), Kelvin Beachum (7th round, 2012), Maurkice Pouncey (1st round, 2010), David DeCastro (1st round, 2012), Mike Adams (2nd round, 2012). After ignoring the offensive line high in the draft for a decade, the Steelers have poured 67 percent of their top two draft picks into it the past three years. They can stop now.

--- They better get some wide receivers and a lead running back or that offensive line will have no one to block for.

--- The Steelers have drafted five linemen in their six picks in the first two rounds the past three years, counting defensive end Cam Heyward. The only player in the top two rounds not a lineman was linebacker Jason Worilds, picked in the second round in 2010.

--- Ziggy Hood, their top selection in 2009, enters the final year of his contract. Typically, this is the year they would try to sign him to a new one, before the start of the season. Will they?

--- Worilds also enters the final year of his contract. If they believe he is the heir apparent to James Harrison, shouldn’t they try to extend him now?

--- The Steelers have been spot on for the most part in keeping the young players they want to keep, but that is about to end as both Mike Wallace and, perhaps Keenan Lewis, head elsewhere as unrestricted free agents. Some might lump Rashard Mendenhall in there as well.

--- The last young free agents the Steelers lost who they really would have preferred to keep were safety Chris Hope and receiver Antwaan Randle El in 2006 and receiver Nate Washington in 2009.

--- If Doug Legursky leaves as a free agent, John Malecki will take his place as the backup center/guard.

Sorry, If Jonathan Cooper is available, the'd better pull the trigger. We have running backs and wide receivers, both of which are greatly enhanced by a fully functioning OL. Further more, consider the astounding lack of depth , Legursky & Malecki, after Starks and Foster leave for free agency,

As far as the other areas of need listed, and there are many, there is little first round value for those positions. If Cooper or Womack are gone, I'd trade down for more pics.

We need to draft a FS that can play in Denver. Gotta a feeling we going to going up there a lot in the next few years.

Why do the Steelers always go to Denver when the Steelers and the Broncos play each other? The Broncos haven't had to come to Pittsburgh since, what, 2006? Why do the schedule makers always have the Steelers go to Denver during Steelers-Broncos games knowing that Ryan Clark is incapable of playing there?

Why do the Steelers always go to Denver when the Steelers and the Broncos play each other? The Broncos haven't had to come to Pittsburgh since, what, 2006? Why do the schedule makers always have the Steelers go to Denver during Steelers-Broncos games knowing that Ryan Clark is incapable of playing there?

You answered your own question: the schedule-makers (Goodell) know Ryan Clark can't play (less likely that the Steelers win).

Until James Harrison retires, don't expect any favors. In fact, even if the Steelers get the #1 seed, expect there to be some sort of new clause that sends them to play a road game in Denver. In fact, ALL of Pittsburgh's play-off games will be in Denver. Houston at Pittsburgh, played in Denver. Indianapolis at Pittsburgh, played in Denver. SuperBowl... moved from New York to Denver.

You answered your own question: the schedule-makers (Goodell) know Ryan Clark can't play (less likely that the Steelers win).

Until James Harrison retires, don't expect any favors. In fact, even if the Steelers get the #1 seed, expect there to be some sort of new clause that sends them to play a road game in Denver. In fact, ALL of Pittsburgh's play-off games will be in Denver. Houston at Pittsburgh, played in Denver. Indianapolis at Pittsburgh, played in Denver. SuperBowl... moved from New York to Denver.

Of course, how could I forget that Goodell wants the Steelers to lose? And of course, with all Steelers playoff games now in Denver, Goodell can execute his master plan to fine James Harrison $50,000 every time the Steelers step into Sports Authority Field at Mile High and another $75,000 every time Harrison looks at Peyton Manning the wrong way. I should have known of Goodell's master plan all along.

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You answered your own question: the schedule-makers (Goodell) know Ryan Clark can't play (less likely that the Steelers win).

Until James Harrison retires, don't expect any favors. In fact, even if the Steelers get the #1 seed, expect there to be some sort of new clause that sends them to play a road game in Denver. In fact, ALL of Pittsburgh's play-off games will be in Denver. Houston at Pittsburgh, played in Denver. Indianapolis at Pittsburgh, played in Denver. SuperBowl... moved from New York to Denver.

hilarious

if the Broncos come to Heinz come January, that means we're in a pretty good place. Oh, the memories. . . .

__________________MacReady: Beaver pics - don't think we're in much shape to do anything about this threadChilds: Well, what do we do?MacReady: Why don't we just . . .wait here and post for a little while longer . . . see what happens?

Of course, how could I forget that Goodell wants the Steelers to lose? And of course, with all Steelers playoff games now in Denver, Goodell can execute his master plan to fine James Harrison $50,000 every time the Steelers step into Sports Authority Field at Mile High and another $75,000 every time Harrison looks at Peyton Manning the wrong way. I should have known of Goodell's master plan all along.

Rumor has it that Goodell is working on a serum , that will give James Harrison sickle-cell.

All of that money diverted for brain research is a ruse; it's all for sickle-cell research... searching for a cause... so that he can GIVE it to #92.